The Penguin Drive-In

Can’t bear to return since the Penguinopocalypse years ago, when the people responsible for Penguin goodness were dumped and went on to create their unique vibe at The Diamond and Pinky’s Westside. From everything I read and hear from people who’ve been there, Penguin’s like a great party in it’s final, dull, alcoholic, hung-​over, fatigued minutes.
Want the classic Penguin? Go to The Diamond or Pinky’s.

What a disappointing lunch! I haven’t been to the Penguin since it changed hands. Without reading Unilocal,I thought I’d give it a shot.
It used to be hard to get a seat in there. Today, there were 3 tables including mine. The radio was on, instead of the jukebox, so I had to experience screaming car commercials over lunch. The menu was a ratty piece of paper, printed from a printer in the back likely, with things marked out on it. I asked about Root Beer and was given a list of drink items that weren’t available.
A hotdog, small fry and drink was over $ 11. None of the items were particularly good. I didn’t even care to finish any item ordered. Despite having an office right up the street, I won’t be returning. There is far better food in the area for the same price and with a better experience.
If you’re considering going here because you saw it on the Food Network, think again. It’s not the same place. Try the Diamond or Pinky’s West Side Grill instead.

As bad as food gets. It’s to bad because their located in a very pleasant quaint downtown location, very good for people watching. I ordered the fried pickles and their famous smoked pork bbq sandwich. Both were awful. The fried pickles were the worst I have had and I’ve eaten many in various locations. They were soggy and very salty, absolutely horrible. Their sandwich had no BBQ, not even the Carolina vinegar variety and if it is there you barley notice it. Barley noticed any smoked flavor in the meat, it’s to bad it looks like a great place to hang out and drink. The servers were nice, but the food is just that bad.

Had to try it– couldn’t resist, but can’t say I loved it. Or, really even liked it all that much. Fried pickles w/​pimento cheese and bacon should be the food of gods, but we didn’t even finish a plate between 3 people. A little soggy and a LOT salty. And before you say what can you expect from pickles, bacon, and cheese– I think they actually ADDED salt. So, something was off there.
Burger was decent– patty was a little plain and grayish, but overall tasty w/​onions, mushrooms and swiss. The bun was falling apart though– way faster than it should have.
Service was okay– lady was friendly, but she forgot nearly everything– even when she wrote it down.
Overall, it was a little sad to come here after looking forward to it for a long time.
There was one really interesting guy there who offered us Junior Mints several times. That was amusing.

Guess I’ll give it 1 star since I can’t give any less. This is surely not the same Penguin that was featured on two TV shows. Apparently it has changed hands. How much longer can these new owners ride the Triple D and Man V Food wave before everyone finds out how crappy the place is now. Service was the worse I’ve ever experienced. One worker even appeared high or hungover. It was hotter than Hades in there. Probably didn’t have the A/​C on since they’re not making money. Watched 3 groups of people walked out since no server acknowledged them.
When our food finally arrived it was missing our appetizers. Turns out they didn’t even start making them. Servers blamed the cook, but I noticed they didn’t offer in any way to help catch up on orders.
Sad to see such an icon in the Queen City just go to waste due to poor management.

Sigh. I’m updating my Unilocal reviews. As most people in QC know– the penguin is no longer the penguin.
I’m not one of those zealots who wants to throw a brick in their window. No, I legitimately tried to stay open minded about the greedy change.
IT JUST ISN’T GOOD ANYMORE. The prices are higher. The food isn’t as good. Boo.

Sampled the onion rings, fried pickles and had a vegetarian hot dog. Very pleased with everything I had. Neighborhood is a little eclectic which mad for interesting people watching.
Minor disappointment, after a long day driving to Charlotte, I was looking forward to a glass of wine with dinner. But, they do not serve beer or wine!
Wait staff friendly and service prompt. Well worth a visit.

I have zero inkling as to how anyone can rate this place more than 1 star. I went there today after looking up great burgers and seeing that Food Network was there so we gave it a go.
WHAT A MISTAKE!!!
Horrible service– the weirdo guy forgot orders of drinks and food every time we asked for something. (Makes me really question the person that hired this guy)
Drinks– the ‘unlimited soda’ is pretty limited to sugar corn syrup. We sent back our cokes and thought the ginger ale would be better off… NOPE.
Food– the burgers were overcooked, overpriced, and plain flavored. The fries and onion rings were so greasy that it was instant heartburn.
The ambiance– blasting radio station and dirty table tops… Yummmm!
Booooo!!! to Food Network and Guy Fieri for putting their stamp of approval on this place.
Don’t do it. Save your money and your appetite for the other foodie places in CLT.

I am really, REALLY sorry The Penguin seems to have taken such a dive — no pun intended. Went there Saturday: one server, one cook, no french fries, several menu items weren’t available. Hot dog was ok, onion rings were pretty much unidentifiable. SAD.
This place needs someone to go in, take over and bring it back. This place need some definite love. It couldn’t be in a more perfect neighborhood.

I first went to the Penguin in 2008 and it was awesome. Hip vibe, crowded, cold beer, and delicious food. Alas, time has not been kind to the penguin. I have tried it several times since then when I found myself in downtown Charlotte and it has gotten progressively worse each time.
The food is still good — how can you go wrong with pimento cheese? However, the servers are clueless, the service slow, the menu is smaller, the beer selection is limited, the kitchen is slower. It is sad because the neighborhood has finally caught up with the coolness of what the Penguin used to be. Do yourself a favor and try one of the many new restaurants that have opened while the Penguin was resting on its TV appearances. Going to the Penguin will just leave you disappointed.

Holy moly! Don’t come on a Sunday! Out of veggie burger’s, mac & cheese bits and coke! Then the fryer went out!!!
There were 7 of us and at least half of us got something spilled on us by our server!

I’m a fairly newcomer to the Penguin, having only been here three or four times. So, I can’t really speak much on how the drama of the management change has affected the place, as many others have cited. Still, the plain truth of the matter is it’s a great burger joint. Is it perfect? No. But the food is tasty and the staff are nice. I got as I most often do, the Pimento Cheese burger. Also got a fried pickles basket. The burger was delicious, but falls apart one or two bites into it — consider asking for a fork. The fried pickles do need to be thinner and have more breading, but again, they are still yummy. They also need to offer a «side» of fried pickles for those who don’t want to order the giant basket.
The movie «Bad Grandpa» filmed a scene here I’m told, and the waitress was very excited to tell me about it today.
My only complaint for today’s visit was the wait. It was long, but again, the food was worth it. They always seem to be understaffed here, and that concerns me a a bit. I was pleasantly surprised today that they had free wifi. These days that’s pretty important to me.
So, if you want a no frills place with great burgers, you can’t go wrong here. Don’t expect perfection, but you’ll have a good experience.

I effin LOVE the Penguin!
I fly my effin’ freak flag at the Pen every time I’m in Charlotte. That burger rawks! Pair it with a nice 2012 Pabst or a bottle of Cheerwine and throw in some fried pickles and you, my friend, are good to go. You’re in the South, mothertrucker!
Don’t! Do NOT! DO NOT EVEN THIIIIIIINK about leaving without grabbing a banana pudding. You can even take it to go, but do not leave that restaurant without banana pudding in either your stomach or your hand.
It’s one of the few places on this planet I actually invested in the apparel they had for sale. That’s how much I like the place. I had to get myself a Penguin Drive-​In trucker hat. Then my Charlotte girlfriend’s dog ate it and it’s been lost until I return to the Pen for another one. Then again, the more I think about it, the whole «my dog ate it» sounds like bewlshlt, right?
Now I’m pissed. But I still love the Penguin. Five stars, bitches!

My boyfriend and I love the show Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives, so we were looking for some places to check out while we were in Charlotte. The Penguin wasn’t too far of a drive from where we were staying, so we decided to head over there. It looks a bit like a hole-​in-​the-​wall and the inside looks like an old-​fashioned ‘50s diner, but that just added to the charm.
I’m a Pittsburgh native, so as soon as I saw a burger called «The Pittsburger» my mind was made up (though ALL the burgers sounded delicious). Since fries already come on the burger, I opted for fried mushrooms as my side. They were delicious! My boyfriend thought so, too. My burger was great as well — perfectly seasoned and cooked.
Our waitress was very pleasant and attentive, though one of us didn’t get quite what we ordered. The 7-​year-​old we were with ordered the Kids Minis (two mini burgers) but ended up with what looked like a regular-​sized burger like mine and my boyfriend’s. But the food was so tasty we didn’t complain.
This also seems like a cool place to come later at night. I’d like to sit at the bar and have a few $ 2 PBR tallboys!

When approaching it looks like an old fashioned diner but with a lively look and feel. The theme appears a bit NASCAR to my idea. Red and black checkered floor, red tables and bar stools. Just taking it in I loved it.
Tonight (Saturday), isn’t crowded at all therefore service was attentive. Try one of their Drama Dogs or the Top «Fly» Burger selections.
I can totally see why Guy Fieri stopped at Penguins. My «Bruised Bird (Bleu Cheese Burger) was incredible! Since it didn’t come with this burger I asked for the Famous Penguin Sauce on the side. Wow, I nearly fainted (unforgettable!). And the burger was cooked to perfection.
The frys were not your typical, they were blackened just as the burger was. I took a chance on the Famouse Penguin Fried Pickles — they too were out of this world.
My only disappointment was there were no more hush puppies :(
Well I guess I will have to… COME BACK :)))

Like many other people, I try things after I see them on TV and after seeing Man v. Food feature this place, had to of course try it out. Man, I am so happy I did!
Situated in my favorite neighborhood in Charlotte, Plaza Midwood, Penguin is an unassuming place, save for their rotating sign up in the front. When you walk in, it looks like a hole in the wall and then you enjoy the company of some fun, friendly servers and delicious burgers and you are so glad you decided to pull up to it. Their burgers are really yummy and their pimento cheese? To. Die. For.
Be warned, their portions in my mind are pretty hefty, so I would recommend saving yourself the heart attack later and splitting with someone.

While in Charlotte, we just could not pass up The Penguin. I can eat a southern burger everyday and Ms T wanted the pimento cheese version. So we drove up east and found it. What a great greasy drive-​in, a classic place.
The burger patty is ¹⁄₃ lb with a loose, handmade texture and just right salt. I had mine with slaw and chile. The slaw is just not right for a burger. I found it bland and the chop is much too coarse for eating on a sandwich be it dog or burger. I added Texas Pete and salt to make it useful. The chili was interesting, pretty mild with not really any chile flavor. Though it had a good dose of black pepper and was actually pretty good. I did not let the slaw spoil the burger though, I enjoyed it regardless and could have used another one but I ordered a chili dog. I really liked the chili dog. The dog itself was large and smoky in flavor.
Ms T’s pimento cheese burger was also very good, but she commented that it could have used a lot more of the pimento cheese. It was kind of undetectable, but again it was a very good burger.
The potato salad was mayo based, not sweet, which we liked and included some pimento. This was well seasoned potato salad regardless of the potatoes being underdone.
The sweet potato fries were very rippled and really very good. They have a touch of cinnamon which I liked and Ms T does not. They were served with honey mustard which was not really needed or even a good match.
The Penguin has a definite attitude or personality that shows up in not making things like every other place and I’m sure that is part of its appeal. Cole slaw preferences aside, this was a great burger and I would return in a heartbeat assuming after I eat a few, my heart will still function.

We waited 1.5 hours for a burger and chicken sandwich and I did not see the cow or the chicken in the back. There were only 12 people here. The manager comped us our meal and gave us free dessert — which was nice.
The burger was bland, the chicken sandwich dry, and the dessert banana pudding was gross. This was 100% miss for us. This is our first DDD miss. Guy F. What were you thinking, but hey, everyone has a bad day.

GREASY GRUBS GALORE! Be prepared to feel insanely guilty post indulgence… but trust me, it will be WELL worth it!
My cousin is visiting from California and I thought «Why not show him one of Charlotte’s finest??» He ordered the food network’s featured meal «Man VS Penguin.» Ironic because penguins are fairly small and that pound burger was GI-​NORMOUS (yes, that would be gigantically enormous)! Fair warning: it is a 3 patties burger that comes with TWO sticks. how else would it hold up? Let me teach you how to conquer this massive creation. Think of the burger as a skewer and just ATTACK! Once everything falls apart, transform the sticks into chop sticks and simply pick up the pieces. Well, that was my cousin’s technique. Best way to top off a greasy burger you ask? FRIED PICKLES! SO crunchy, SO greasy but SOOO good!
I ordered the Kitchen Sink burger with sweet potato fries. A burger with an onion ring, coleslaw AND pimento cheese. mmm mmm yeahh! I rarely finish my burgers, but how could I put this to waste? OH and the fries. Crinkle cut sweet potato fries! The fries had an interesting flavor. possibly a hint of cinnamon in the batter. Does it matter what they put in it? NOPE, not really! Only disappointment is that I saw Funnel Cake Fries on the menu but had to save that for my next trip.
This place opened in 1954 and is still around for a reason. Great people. Great prices. Great food! I have a warm, squishy part in my tummy for all the local mom and pop diners/​restaurants and I’m glad to have Penguin around to satisfy my forever-​hungry foodie needs!

I could just put a sad face here, and leave it at that, but then you wouldn’t know the excruciating time we had at this place. Wow. I am EXTREMELY disappointed and I don’t give one star reviews lightly!
After hearing how great this place was over and over and over, and that it was on Diners, drive Ins and dives I HAD to go. I’m a sucker for that sorta thing, and man did this place miss the mark. I can honestly say unless they make some serious changes I may never go back or give it a second glance.
Parking was an adventure at this place. the only spots open were close to a curb, so I decided to take my SUV and pretend it was a Jeep Wrangler. I got so frustrated trying to find a place to park on an empty stomach that I seriously just baja’d over the curb and bounced into the small spot that was waiting.
When we came in, I was excited about this place. It had that old divey dinerish feel that I love and I figured there was NO way this place could be a miss. We got the menu and I thought everything sounded amazing! I ended up opting to make my own burger. Egg, mozzarella cheese & mayo. Pretty simple right? Well not for our server, she was apparently still drunk from her binge the night before. I know this because she told us, in her half arsed attempt of an apology. Sigh. I’ll get there, don’t you worry.
I got my burger with fries. I’d asked for onion rings… That wasn’t that big of a deal, but it was only the beginning to the train wreck that was coming. The burger looked fantastic, and I couldn’t wait to try it! Well I took that first bite and there was a taste I wasn’t expecting… ONIONS. Really? So you forget the onion rings but you apparently added them to my burger, and went sans mayo. Good thing I like onions I guess. I just ate the burger and didn’t say anything at first.
My boyfriend ordered the BBQ sandwich with the sauce on the side and no coleslaw. She brings him the BBQ with no sauce, and coleslaw slathered on the top of it. He has to remind her that he asked for no coleslaw and the sauce on the side. She brings him two types of sauce to try and the sweeter of the two is a mustard based. How do I know this? Because she mixed the mustard in and a fat layer of yellow was on top the the smokey red. She didn’t even mix it up or anything. Normally I’m not this picky of a person, but with every single thing that happened, I had enough.
We asked her for a box twice, and took home the leftovers. She did apologize about her screw ups, and said, «I’m so sorry, I think I’m still half drunk. I’ll give you a free dessert.» I almost didn’t get the dessert because by this point I had better things to do than spend any more of my time at the penguin. But she said banana pudding and I thought maybe that would bring them back up a star. She brought it over, I took a few bites and I just wasn’t impressed.
When we got home my stomach was all torn up, and I ended up throwing away the left overs. I didn’t want to feel that way two days in a row. UGH. Sorry for the long winded review, but I warned you.
My take on this place: :(Save your money, and keep the experience of what you saw on TV in your heart. This place is sure to disappoint.